Written Answers Tuesday 28 October 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15511 by Shona Robison on 5 September 2008, whether the Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 recognises the confused state of a person before, during and after an epileptic seizure as an impairment to that individual’s capacity to make decisions.

Shona Robison: The purpose of the Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 is to provide for decisions to be made on behalf of adults who lack legal capacity to do so themselves because of mental disorder or inability to communicate. The decisions concerned may be about the adult’s property or financial affairs, or about their personal welfare, including medical treatment.

  The act describes incapable as an individual who is incapable of:

  (a) acting, or

  (b) making decisions, or

  (c) communicating decisions, or

  (d) understanding decisions, or

  (e) retaining the memory of decisions,

  by reason of mental disorder or of inability to communicate because of physical disability. It states that incapacity will be construed accordingly.

  The definition of incapacity will, on occasions, apply to patients who experience seizures. It should, however, be noted that in the majority of cases normal cognitive functioning returns in a short period of time, often in a matter of minutes. In such cases the important issue for ambulance crews is consent to treatment and the patient’s ability to make decisions independently.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15512 by Shona Robison on 5 September 2008, what actions Scottish Ambulance Service crews would take in dealing with someone whose capacity to make decisions may be impaired by ill health.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service staff follows the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaisons Committee (JRCALC) UK Ambulance Service Clinical Practice Guidelines 2006. These can be found via the following link:

  http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/hsri/emergencycare/prehospitalcare/jrcalcstakeholderwebsite/guidelines.

  If a patient is unable to give informed consent and is deemed incapable of understanding the implications of refusing treatment, then ambulance staff should act in the patient’s best interests and take whatever action is necessary to safeguard life and prevent or reduce further harm. However, it must be emphasised that if a patient is able to understand the implications of treatment refusal they have the right to refuse the offer of treatment.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15513 by Shona Robison on 4 September 2008, who the other colleagues are that Scottish Ambulance Service crews can contact and how this contact is made in an emergency situation.

Shona Robison: In general terms, ambulance service personnel can contact GP practices or out-of-hours services for primary care advice and can make contact with accident and emergency department staff.

  How this contact is made at a local level is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15515 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide specific details about the special arrangements for cases where medazalan has been prescribed for patients who have experienced an epileptic seizure.

Shona Robison: Special arrangements are currently in place whereby paramedics can administer Midazolam 1 to specific named patients under the instruction of that patient’s consultant.

  However, the Scottish Ambulance Service is in the process of approving a National Patient Group Direction (PGD)2 for the buccal administration of Midazolam to patients in Status Epilepticus3 by registered paramedics. It is anticipated that this will be introduced into practice before the end of the year. This will help ensure that where emergency treatment of Status Epilepticus is required and an ambulance has been called to attend, registered paramedics can treat the patient at the scene. Once treated, the patient will be taken to the nearest appropriate receiving unit .

  Notes:

  1. Midazolam is a Schedule 3 controlled drug used for the emergency treatment of status epilepticus (unlicensed indication), and can be included in a PGD provided a licensed medicinal product is used. Midazolam is the only Schedule 3 controlled drug that can be included in a PGD.

  2. A PGD is a written direction relating to the sale/supply and/or administration of a Prescription Only Medicine (POM), to persons generally, subject to specified exclusions) and is signed by a doctor/dentist, and by a pharmacist.

  3. Extract from SIGN clinical guideline no.70. "Status Epilepticus has been defined as a condition in which "epileptic activity persists for 30 minutes or more, causing a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms." Emergency treatment should be sought or given by carers of people with epilepsy once a seizure has persisted, or there are serial seizures, for more than five minutes. Generalised tonic-clonic status epilepticus is a medical emergency with significant morbidity and mortality, which can often be attributed to inadequate or delayed treatment."

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15516 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, what the Scottish Ambulance Service considers to be the three most common types of epilepsy.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the revised answer to question S3W-15516 on 3 September 2008. The three most common types of convulsion covered in ambulance service training are grand mal seizures, status epilepticus and infantile convulsions.

  It is important to explain that the Scottish Ambulance Service trains its staff based on presenting complaints and symptoms rather than in disease specific format. For example, the commonest form of epilepsy, grand mal, is incorporated within training on the assessment, management and treatment of convulsions. While epilepsy is the major cause of this clinical presentation there are a number of other conditions that can trigger convulsions.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15516 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide more specific details about the management of status epilepticus by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service follows the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaisons Committee (JRCALC) UK Ambulance Service Clinical Practice Guidelines 2006. These can be found at:

  http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/hsri/emergencycare/prehospitalcare/jrcalcstakeholderwebsite/guidelines.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15517 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide more specific details about the basic training and the training in the administration of specific medicines that Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics receive.

Shona Robison: Scottish Paramedics are trained to the UK-wide standard syllabus as provided by the Institute of Health Care Development and the Standards of Proficiency as laid down by the Health Professions Council. Management standards are set by the Joint Royal College Ambulance Liaison Committee which has UK-wide ambulance and medical representation including the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatricians.

  In order to register as a paramedic staff must have completed a minimum of 18 months technician training, although in practice this is often nearer two years. During this time, and in relation to epilepsy, they will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system and about major and minor seizures and how to manage them.

  The technician period is consolidated by a 12 month period of clinical practice on an ambulance before returning to paramedic training. During this period students will further study anatomy and physiology and disorders of the nervous system, extend their knowledge of see and treat procedures and undergo training in drugs licensed for use in the UK by paramedics. This list includes rectal diazepam and intravenous diazemuls for the management of active seizures. The indications for the use of these medicines is clearly defined in the JRCALC Clinical Practice Guidelines and all staff have access to these both in hard copy and via the electronic patient report form. Classroom training is further enhanced by placement in accident and emergency departments and in hospital theatres where students will experience the management of unconscious patients.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15518 by Shona Robison on 3 September 2008, whether it will provide more specific details about the training that Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics receive in the management of difficult epilepsy cases.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the revised answer to question S3W-15516 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training a Scottish Ambulance Service paramedic receives that a Scottish Ambulance Service technician does not.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16872 on 28 October 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  In addition, paramedics are trained in the administration of specific medications and the securing of intravenous access.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio is of Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics to Scottish Ambulance Service technicians.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service has confirmed that it currently employs 1,229 paramedics and 986 technicians. This is a ratio of around 1.2:1.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulances regularly operate without a paramedic, also expressed as a percentage.

Shona Robison: This information is not available from the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) IT systems.

  However, the SAS recruits and trains to allow for traditional accident and emergency ambulances to be staffed by a paramedic and a technician. In circumstances where this is not possible, due for example to sickness absence, the dispatch centre will endeavour to provide paramedic support by sending a backup paramedic response to appropriate cases or via the paramedic advisor in the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre.

Birds

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any surveys into the predation of lambs by sea eagles across all areas where there are sea eagle populations and whether it will undertake such a survey covering the lambing season in 2009.

Michael Russell: The Sea Eagle Project partners, comprising Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and latterly the Forestry Commission Scotland for the east coast undertake annual monitoring of sea eagle breeding performance which also includes an assessment of sea eagle diet across a number of accessible nests. This work has allowed the partners to build up a picture of sea eagle diet across the current range of sea eagles over the last 10 years.

  SNH will be commissioning additional research work on sea eagle diet in 2009, with representatives from the RSPB and the Scottish Crofting Foundation on the steering group overseeing the study. This work will look at particular aspects of sea eagle diet and livestock health, in particular the extent to which sea eagles predate livestock and the general health of lambs taken as live prey or as carrion. The research will have its focus on Gairloch and the surrounding area but further work is also planned for the Western Isles in a separate project. In addition, continuing effort will be made to recover prey items from nests across the breeding range.

Cancer

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact assessment has been carried out on the effectiveness of finance allocated for increased education on and awareness of skin cancer and the use of sundbeds and whether there are plans to increase such funding.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government contributed 10% (£11,000 in 2008-09) to the costs of "SunSmart" which is commissioned by Health Departments across the UK and run by Cancer Research. SunSmart is a generic skin cancer prevention campaign which aims to raise awareness around the causes of skin cancer and includes information on the health risks associated with sunbed use.

  Campaign activities are evaluated by Cancer Research UK on an on-going basis and a full evaluation report of all activities sent to UK health departments. Figures from a yearly survey commissioned by Cancer Research UK from the Office for National Statistics show an increase in knowledge that using sunbeds increases the risk of skin cancer from 71% in 2003 to 81% in 2005. Further studies have been carried out in 2007 and 2008 but we are awaiting verification of the results.

  Following the passage of the Public Health etc (Scotland) act 2008 the Scottish Government will refocus its activity to carry out an awareness raising campaign to accompany the act’s provisions on sunbeds when they come into effect in 2009. The sunbed provisions in the Act will ban the use, sale and hire of sunbeds to under 18s, ban unsupervised use and introduce a requirement for sunbed operators to give their clients detailed information on the health risks associated with sunbed use. The campaign will be targeted at sunbed users and all known sunbed operators in Scotland. It is envisaged that the campaign will include the distribution of leaflets and posters and that information and materials will be available to download free of charge from the Scottish Government website. The estimated cost of the campaign is in the region of £50,000.

  The final form of the campaign has not been decided. Therefore no impact assessment has been designed at this stage although the campaign will be evaluated and impact assessed following its delivery.

Care Commission

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all parents who place their children in nursery care will be notified of the grade of service given by the Care Commission.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission places all care service inspection reports and grades on its website. The grading system was introduced on 1 April 2008, with all care services being graded at their first inspection after that date.

  There is an expectation that care services will make their inspection reports, which includes the grades, available to care service users and their carers. It is also expected that a copy of the latest inspection report be displayed within the service.

Care Commission

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether nursery care providers will be expected to adhere to the national care standards regardless of the grade they receive from the Care Commission.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether users of care services can expect adherence to all care standards regardless of the grade given by the Care Commission.

Shona Robison: Yes, all care services are expected to meet the expectations of the National Care Standards. The Care Commission’s grading scheme is based on a number of quality statements within four quality themes. The quality statements are based on the National Care Standards.

Care Commission

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16140 by Shona Robison on 17 September 2008, what action should be taken by the Care Commission when care providers refuse to implement recommendations over a period of three years.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission’s action in relation to any recommendations or requirements on care services will vary from case to case. The application of its enforcement powers is an operational matter for the Care Commission.

  The member can contact the Chief Executive of the Care Commission at the following address:

  Ms Jacquie Roberts Chief Executive Care Commission  Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY

  Tel: 01382 207102 Email: Jacquie.roberts@carecommission.com/.

Carers

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young carers are waiting for support services, broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: From meeting young carers and representatives from young carers projects at the recent National Young Carers Festival, I am aware that young carers can find it difficult to access support.

  The number of young carers waiting for support services in each local authority is not held centrally.

  We will be examining the provision of support to young carers fully during the development of the young carers section of the revised carers strategy next year.

Carers

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make core funding available for young carers’ organisations.

Shona Robison: I recognise the difficulties young carers’ projects experience in securing core funding. We will examine ways of supporting local young carers projects to access sustainable funding as we develop proposals for the young carers section of the revised Carers Strategy next year.

  As the member is aware, the funding of specific local services, including young carer projects, is at the discretion of individual local authorities. By exercising this local discretion in the planning and delivery of services, local authorities and their partners can ensure best use of their available resources.

  To enable local authorities to continue to develop their services, the Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of funding, including funding for young carers services, is provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  The member may also wish to note that we have provided an additional £4 million over the next two years – on top of the total settlement to local government - to enable local authorities to deliver in full the concordat commitment of an additional 10,000 respite weeks a year by 2010-11.

  In addition to the funding available to local authorities, the Scottish Government has provided resources rising to £5 million per year for the NHS to implement local Carer Information Strategies. These strategies should include measures to identify and support young carers. We have urged boards to use this funding to prioritise front line services for carers and to deliver carer information and training through local carers’ centres, where they exist.

Crofters Commission

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what annual funding is provided to the Crofters Commission to enable it to undertake its role of developing crofting.

Michael Russell: The planned administrative budget for the Crofters Commission for 2008-09 amounted to some £3.5 million. It is estimated that around £250,000 of this annual budget will be available for the purpose of crofting community development. The Scottish Government has also agreed to augment the budget by £100,000 to enable the Crofters Commission to deliver Rural Direct in the Highlands and Islands.

Crofters Commission

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects responsibility for development of crofting to transfer from the Crofters Commission to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Michael Russell: Discussions are under way between the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Crofters Commission about arrangements for the transfer of crofting community development. A transfer date has yet to be confirmed.

Education

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected number is of pupils who will be in P1 to P3 in (a) Dundee and (b) Angus in August 2010.

Maureen Watt: Projected pupil numbers in each stage for each local authority are not generally produced centrally. However, using trends in the five to seven year old population from GRO Scotland’s projections and 2007 participation rates, pupil projections would be 4,550 in Dundee City and 4,100 in Angus.

Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary schools classes in Edinburgh and the Lothians had more than (a) 30, (b) 25 and (c) 20 pupils at any date since the start of the school year.

Maureen Watt: The detail of information requested is not collected centrally. Information on the size of classes is collected as at the school census date in September each year. This census information is yet to be collated for 2008 and will be published early in 2009. Details of individual school class sizes will also be available at that time on the government website using the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/ClassSizeDatasets .

Energy Conservation

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many interest-free loans have been allocated by the Energy Saving Trust to small businesses in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Jim Mather: Since the inception of Loan Action Scotland in 1999, managed over the period by the Energy Saving Trust and the Wise Group, six interest-free loans for energy efficiency measures, worth a total of £103,400, have been allocated to small businesses in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency through the scheme.

Energy Conservation

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S3W-15876 by Jim Mather on 25 September 2008, how much of the estimated £539,000 directly attributable for support for business has supported businesses in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Jim Mather: This information will not be available until the end of the current financial year.

  However, the Energy Saving Trust have estimated that, based upon expenditure in the previous financial year, approximately £7,500 will be spent on direct support for business in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency during 2008-09.

  Energy efficiency measures typically implemented as a result of this support would generate estimated lifetime cost savings of £85,000.

  In addition to this, there will be indirect spend on business support via the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Network which cannot be separated from the total £3.5 million allocated to the network in 2008-09.

Energy Efficiency

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working with energy companies to increase energy efficiency in the home.

Jim Mather: The principal scheme for supporting households to undertake energy efficiency improvements is the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT), which places an obligation on the major energy supply companies to help households by providing subsidies for energy efficiency measures such as cavity wall and loft insulation, appliances and light bulbs.

  The Scottish Government has recently established a Scottish CERT Strategy Steering Group, chaired by Stewart Maxwell MSP, and working in partnership with the energy suppliers to ensure better delivery of CERT in Scotland.

  We have secured the commitment of the energy companies in principle to funding Scotland’s share of the CERT. This could be worth at least £107 million each year for home energy efficiency improvements and savings of £83 million each year in household fuel bills.

  Scottish ministers meet individually with the energy companies on a regular basis and are due to meet with a number of energy companies over the coming month.

  In addition energy companies are represented on the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum. The forum published its report on 10 October 2008 and ministers are currently considering its recommendations.

Finance

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release the minutes of all funding decisions from May 2007 that were agreed in principle by the First Minister, subject to agreement by officials of a detailed proposal.

John Swinney: The 2007 Spending Review outcome, setting out key funding decisions, was agreed by the Cabinet and published in November 2007. The Budget Bill 2007 was scrutinised by the Parliament and its committees, and expenditure is reported on in a range of ways, for example in the Draft Budget, for 2009-10, reports to parliamentary subject committees and press releases. Individual spending decisions on particular issues within portfolios etc are taken by portfolio ministers within the overall context agreed by the Cabinet and set out in the Budget Act, with First Minister and other ministerial colleagues involved as appropriate, for example where cross-portfolio issues are involved. It would be impractical in terms of cost and time to attempt to identify every decision with spending implications in which the First Minister has been involved since May 2007.

Fuel Poverty

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with energy producers operating in Scotland in relation to fuel poverty, in light of recent increases in tariffs charged to domestic customers.

Stewart Maxwell: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and I are to meet shortly with representatives of ScottishPower, British Gas and Scottish and Southern Energy to discuss the impact of rising prices on domestic consumers including the fuel poor. Meetings are scheduled for late October and early November. The energy companies were also represented on the Fuel Poverty Forum which published its recommendations on 10 October.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation is being undertaken on programmes to tackle obesity.

Shona Robison: A range of evaluations are underway or planned in support of Healthy Eating, Active Living: an action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. For example, the HEAT target "tackling childhood obesity" is a developmental target and will be reviewed after its first year. The requirement for the monitoring and evaluation of the interventions being delivered by each health board is currently being determined. Counterweight has evaluation component built into the contract which provides the Scottish Government and health boards with regular progress reports including preliminary results of patient interventions, clinical outcomes, health economics and qualitative research.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what weight management programmes and support are available for GPs to refer people to in each NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: Tayside, Lothian and Lanarkshire were part of Phase 1 of the Counterweight programme. Phase 2 of Counterweight was rolled out from April 2008 to NHS boards in Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian and Fife. Phase 3 of Counterweight was rolled out from August 2008 to NHS boards in Highland, Borders, Forth Valley, the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney, with NHS Dumfries and Galloway due to commence delivery in 2009.

  NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde run their own similar weight management programme.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to prevent obesity.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is investing £56 million, of which £40 million is new money, in initiatives set out in Healthy Eating, Active Living , our three year action plan published in June 2008, which sets out the actions we will take, together with partners to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. We are also working across government at a senior level and will work with all sectors of Scottish society to develop a longer term strategy to tackle obesity. This will build on existing work such as that seen in schools to promote healthy eating and increase physical activity.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which age group has the highest prevalence of obesity.

Shona Robison: Statistics on childhood and adult obesity are available from the Scottish Health Survey 2003 (the most recent results currently available). There is considerable variation in rates of obesity by gender as well as age. According to published gender breakdowns, the highest rates of obesity are observed for:

  Women aged 65 to 74 years (40.5%);

  Men aged 55 to 64 years (33.3%).

  Further Scottish Health Survey statistics on obesity are available from:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/25145024/50271.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of five to 15-year-olds is considered to be severely obese.

Shona Robison: Statistics on childhood obesity are available from the Scottish Health Survey 2003 (the most recent results currently available from this source). According to these data, 8.0% of children aged five to 15 years were severely obese. Within this, there is notable variation by age and gender:

  

 
 % Severely Obese


 Boys
 Girls


 5 to 7 years
 8.7
 6.4


 8 to 10 years
 7.8
 9.7


 11 to 12 years
 10.8
 4.7


 13 to 15 years
 8.9
 7.3



  Source: Scottish Health Survey 2003.

  Further Scottish Health Survey statistics on childhood obesity are published at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/25145024/50271 (see Table 5.5 on page 123).

  The NHS Information Services Division also publish statistics on childhood obesity, based on the Child Health Surveillance Programme. These figures also show variation in rates of severely obese children by age and gender:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/child_obesity (click on "obesity statistics" to access a list of available tables and charts).

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged between five and 15 are currently receiving support from weight management services.

Shona Robison: Information about all child weight management activity in Scotland is not currently held centrally.

  A new HEAT target was introduced in 2008 that requires each NHS board to deliver an agreed number of child healthy weight interventions. The minimum number of interventions required in each board area reflects the estimated size of the population of children aged five to 15 years whose BMI lies outwith a healthy range. Data on child weight management services will be collected as part of the monitoring and evaluation of the target.

Homecoming Scotland

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been done to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009 in Scotland.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland are working in close collaboration to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009. VisitScotland is committed to the effective marketing of Homecoming and the Homecoming theme now runs through VisitScotland’s entire marketing programme. Homecoming is integral to VisitScotland’s drive to promote Scotland domestically and internationally as a quality must see, must return destination.

  The promotion of Homecoming in Scotland has included:

  the publication of a wide variety of articles in newspapers and magazines on Homecoming and Homecoming messages, including a full page article in The Sunday Times Ecosse section;

  Homecoming branding at key events;

  Homecoming presentations at key trade events and shows;

  the launch of a dedicated Homecoming website on 20 August 2008, including events and programme details;

  the inclusion of information about Homecoming and Homecoming events in direct marketing;

  press trips to Burns country, with Homecoming a key theme;

  the development of a Homecoming toolkit and information pack for travel trade and media to raise aware and convey key Homecoming messages, which went live on 22 September 2008 and new content is uploaded daily;

  providing Homecoming updates to the tourism businesses in the industry for better industry promotion of Homecoming, and

  the naming of the Scottish Cup as the Homecoming Scottish Cup for the 2008-09 season.

Homecoming Scotland

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been done to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009 in Europe.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland are working in close collaboration to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009. VisitScotland is committed to the effective marketing of Homecoming and the Homecoming theme now runs through VisitScotland’s entire marketing programme. Homecoming is integral to VisitScotland’s drive to promote Scotland domestically and internationally as a quality must see, must return destination.

  Europe is one of the key audiences being targeted and VisitScotland’s promotion of Homecoming to Europe includes:

  Homecoming messages to journalists and travel trade across Europe;

  articles in variety of e-publications;

  hosting Homecoming themed press trips for European journalists;

  press releases and range of media communications, e.g. around the Homecoming launch and key developments, and

  international media briefings with extensive pick up in media.

Homecoming Scotland

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been done to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009 in Asia.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland are working in close collaboration to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009. VisitScotland is committed to the effective marketing of Homecoming and the Homecoming theme now runs through VisitScotland’s entire marketing programme. Homecoming is integral to VisitScotland’s drive to promote Scotland domestically and internationally as a quality must see, must return destination.

  Although the key audiences being targeted for Homecoming are North America, Australasia, Europe, Scotland and the rest of the UK, Homecoming is being promoted within Asia and particularly China, a key emerging market.

  VisitScotland is focusing attention on the education and golf pillars of Homecoming to target the Chinese market. Homecoming branding and messaging features in all VisitScotland’s activity in the Chinese market, including through newsletters and through the Scots Agents programme (Scots Agents are specially trained travel agents who undergo a Scotland-specific training programme). All VisitScotland’s key tour operators are branding their brochures with Homecoming messages. VisitScotland are also working with the education sector and have provided copies of the Homecoming Events Guide to universities across Scotland to send to potential students with their offer letters.

  Homecoming was also a strong feature of the promotion of Scotland during the recent week-long familiarisation tour of the Travel Agent Association of India.

Housing

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the additional Scottish Government spending on housing in 2008-09 will be allocated to support first-time buyers in (a) East Ayrshire and (b) South Ayrshire.

Stewart Maxwell: The first tranche of announcements on the accelerated Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) was made on 7 October 2008. Further consideration will be given to future opportunities over the coming months and funds will be allocated to specific projects rather than announcing general geographic allocations, so that best strategic fit and value for money can be assured.

  However, from the existing 2008-09 AHIP programme we are investing £7 million in East Ayrshire which includes a £0.348 million allocation to support first time buyers, and in South Ayrshire we are investing £6.3 million which includes a £0.609 million allocation to support first time buyers. The First Minister has also announced £60 million to temporarily extend the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot for 2009-10 to low income first time buyers across Scotland to find affordable homes.

Housing

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16452 by Stewart Maxwell on 26 September 2008, by what date it expects to have allocated the funding being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11.

Stewart Maxwell: From the accelerated funding we are planning to prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions where it is strategically sensible and offers value for money. We will review opportunities on a regular basis over the coming months and allocate funds to specific projects rather than announcing general geographic allocations, so that best strategic fit and value for money can be assured. We announced the first tranche of £9 million of projects, including site starts and land acquisitions on 7 October. Further announcements will be made shortly.

Local Income Tax

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to comments made by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 2 October 2008 ( Official Report , c. 11386), what definition of residence it proposes to use for taxpayers under its proposed local income tax to ensure that "the local income tax that is collected from residents in each local authority area" can be identified.

John Swinney: Our proposals for defining residence in relation to local income tax were set out in paragraph 19 of A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland and relate to utilisation of the current definition of a Scottish taxpayer as set out in the Scotland Act 1998. As we progress our proposals we shall consider whether this approach remains appropriate, including in relation to local authority areas.

Local Income Tax

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under its proposed local income tax, tax revenues from individuals who move between local authority areas would be allocated to each authority on the basis of time spent in its area.

John Swinney: As with the council tax system there will require to be a procedure in the local income tax system to account for people moving in and out of local authority areas. We will bring forward detail on this as we progress our proposals.

Lottery Funding

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the Big Lottery Fund and BBC Scotland’s Primetime programme and, if so, whether it supports the Community Service Volunteers bid for funding.

Jim Mather: Primetime was a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and BBC Scotland. Members of the public voted on projects for older people in each of the six regions of Scotland. The programme ended in September 2008. It would not have been appropriate to give support to any one project but we congratulate all those who entered and especially those who were successful.

Medical Research

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being allocated to develop medicines.

Shona Robison: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), of the Scottish Government’s Health Directorates, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is currently funding 12 research trials involving medicines at a cost of £2.7 million. Funds of £5.9 million have also been allocated to the NHS in Scotland this year to support an increase in clinical research and to fund research networks. Of this, some £324,000 has been allocated to the two experimental cancer medicine centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh and £325,000 for the medicines for children research network. More generally, the CSO allocates £38 million to the NHS to meet the additional costs of supporting research funded by major research funders such as the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust. Some of this research will also involve trials of medicinal products.

  In addition, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise have in the last five years allocated through a range of investments and grants approximately £35 million towards projects involving investment or development in drug discovery.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how people with depression and anxiety are being assisted in early diagnosis and early intervention for treatment and support.

Shona Robison: Our published standards for integrated care for those with depression underline the importance of early assessment and interventions for successful planning and care. GPs are using validated assessment tools for patients with a new diagnosis of depression repeated at regular intervals to monitor progress and outcome.

  The GP contract also provides additional resources for objective assessments and provision of information on suitable interventions including self help, life style advice and other interventions. Pharmacists also advise on mental health and wellbeing issues.

  Our national and local public health and anti-stigma campaigns also encourage earlier presentations and fits with other initiatives including the Breathing Space national telephone advice and signposting service for those experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.

  As announced in the summer, we are also considering the extent to which mental health services could be brought into the 18 weeks waiting time target. In most cases those requiring urgent access to mental health services already receive treatment well within 18 weeks but we are committed to further addressing delays where these occur. Our initial considerations will be completed shortly.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Scotland supports a recovery approach across the spectrum of care for mental health patients.

Shona Robison: NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government support a comprehensive recovery-orientated approach to the provision of care, treatment and support for mental health patients, and their carers, as part of continuing joint working to improve mental health services in line with published targets and commitments.

  In line with one of our key published commitments the Scottish Recovery Indicator (SRI) has been developed to ensure that services are recovery-orientated and socially inclusive. A broadly positive independent evaluation report on the piloting of the SRI, in five NHS board areas: Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Forth Valley; Ayrshire and Arran; Tayside, and Grampian, was published on 24 October 2008.

  The SRI is being improved, in line with recommendations within the evaluation, with the Scottish Recovery Network undertaking actions on our behalf, working with practitioners and service users from the five pilot sites to improve the SRI. The SRI will be available for general use by 2010 in line with our published commitment.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been done to determine the availability of advocacy services for mental health patients.

Shona Robison: No specific research has, or is currently, being undertaken to determine the availability of advocacy services for mental health patients.

  However, the University of Stirling was commissioned to carry out research into the named person role and to consider its interaction with other forms of patient representation under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 as part of its research programme into the operation of the new act. The study explored the named person role from the perspective of a range of stakeholders and made recommendations for the development of patient representation. A final draft of this work has now been received and a report and research findings will be published in due course.

  The Mental Welfare Commission has a programme of scheduled visits to mental health and learning disability services. Though these visits do not constitute research done to determine the availability of advocacy services for mental health patients, this is one of the elements that they examine. The commission’s findings are summarised in their annual reports from 2005-06 onwards.

NHS Hospitals

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the range of medical services offered at Portree Hospital.

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give about the future role of Portree Hospital and whether it will make a ministerial statement on this issue.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is the responsibility of individual NHS boards to plan and provide high-quality, safe and sustainable healthcare services that meet the needs of their population.

  As such, the provision of services at Portree Hospital is a matter for NHS Highland.

National Care Standards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the quality standards of care services will be graded rather than a consistent standard being applied across Scotland.

Shona Robison: A consistent approach to grading across Scotland is being taken by the Care Commission. The National Care Standards and the requirements in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 provide a national framework for the regulation of care services. The National Care Standards apply equally to all care services and provide the basis for the commission’s grading system.

National Care Standards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16140 by Shona Robison on 17 September 2008, whether care services that consistently do not comply with Care Standards and receive a lower grade will be allowed to continue to provide services.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission regulates for improvement. Services which do not meet the National Care Standards and receive a lower grade will be expected to improve. The commission has a wide range of powers available to it under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 which it uses in a proportionate and incremental way. The application of these powers is an operational matter for the Care Commission.

National Care Standards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16145 by Shona Robison on 17 September 2008, how it will ensure that people using care services, and appropriate stakeholders, are given copies of the care standards and the reports on care service carried out by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education, where appropriate.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission places all care service inspection reports and grades on its website. The grading system was introduced on 1 April 2008, with all care services being graded at their first inspection after that date.

  There is an expectation that care services will make their inspection reports, which includes the grades, available to care service users and their carers. It is also expected that a copy of the latest inspection report be displayed within the service.

  Reports of integrated inspections by the Care Commission and HMIe are published and copies sent to the services to be distributed to parents, staff and other stakeholders. The reports are placed on the HMIe website and linked to the Care Commission website for access by any interested party.

  The National Care Standards set out what people using care services can expect from the provider. We have been running an awareness campaign about the National Care Standards since 30 June and we are looking at ways to extend this in Spring 2009. The standards are available online at

  www.scotland.gov.uk/health/standardsandsponsorship, or from:

  Blackwell’s Bookshop 53-63 South Bridge  EDINBURGH EH1 1YS

  Tel: 0131 622 8283 Fax: 0131 557 8149

  Email: Edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

Prescription Charges

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults living in families with an annual income of less than £16,000 have benefited from the reduction in prescription charges.

Shona Robison: We estimate that around 600,000 adults living in families with an annual income of less than £16,000 will benefit from the reduction in prescription charges when they buy prescriptions. We do not know how many have benefited since the charge was reduced on 1 April 2008, as the annual income of people paying NHS prescription charges is not collected.

  The Scottish Government’s commitment to abolish prescription charges in April 2011 will benefit everyone who pays for prescriptions.

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline its proposals for a health education campaign to accompany the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008.

Shona Robison: Following the passage of the Public Health etc (Scotland) 2008 the Scottish Government intends to conduct an awareness raising campaign to accompany the act’s provisions on sunbeds when they come into effect in 2009. The final form of the campaign has yet to be decided.

Renewable Energy

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative in the current year; what the value is of the funding already allocated to applicants from this budget; what the value is of applications under consideration, and whether any applications have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.

Jim Mather: In the current financial year the Scottish Government has allocated £9.25 million for the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative (SCHRI). This is split as follows:

  The household stream has been allocated £3.5 million this year. Of this, £2.59million had been allocated to the end of September 2008 and grants valuing £450,000 are currently under consideration. No grants have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.

  The community stream has been allocated £5.75 million this year. £500,000 of this funds the work of the SCHRI development officers who support the community projects, with the remaining £5.25 million being allocated to grants. Of this, £2.3 million had been allocated to the end of September 2008. In respect of grants under consideration, Development officers are currently supporting 85 projects with grants valuing around £1.1 million. No grants have been rejected because of a shortage of funding.

School Meals

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was given to each local authority to participate in the free school meals pilot for P1 to P3 pupils.

Adam Ingram: The following table sets out the amount of funding we provided to each of the local authorities participating in the free school meals trial for P1 to P3 pupils.

  

Local Authority
£


East Ayrshire 
561,000


Fife 
1,714,000


Glasgow City
1,309,000


Scottish Borders 
593,000


West Dunbartonshire 
455,000

School Meals

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost was of providing a school meal in the free school meals pilot for P1 to P3 pupils.

Adam Ingram: Information on the costs associated with the free school meals trial for P1 to P3 pupils is included in the report on the findings of the independent evaluation of the trial which is available on the Scottish Government website at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/08/29114033/0.

Schools

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new schools will be built in (a) East Ayrshire and (b) South Ayrshire by 2011 and which of those schools were commissioned after 3 May 2007.

Maureen Watt: Investment plans and details are matters for the relevant local authorities. The Scottish Government does not, just as the previous Scottish Executive did not, commission individual school building projects.

Scottish Government

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which MSPs who do not hold ministerial positions are authorised to speak for the Scottish Government and on what authority this has been agreed.

Bruce Crawford: No MSPs who do not hold ministerial positions are authorised to speak for the Scottish Government. As set out in the answer to question S3W-11317 on 27 March 2008, the First Minister has appointed 14 Parliamentary Liaison Officers (PLOs) who have a role in contributing to the effective communication of the Scottish Government’s policy within the Parliament. However, PLOs are not members of the Government and do not speak for the Government.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions can be caused by untreated chlamydia.

Shona Robison: Untreated genital chlamydia infection in women can result in pelvic pain and scarring known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease which can progress to ectopic pregnancy and infertility.

  There is also some evidence to suggest that untreated genital chlamydia infection in men can affect fertility.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all pregnant women are given a chlamydia test as part of their ante-natal care.

Shona Robison: While in Scotland there is opportunistic chlamydia testing for anyone who may have put themselves at risk, there is currently no routine anti-natal screening for chlamydia.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients are given advice on and tests for chlamydia when presenting for travel vaccinations.

Shona Robison: Chlamydia testing is not routinely provided at travel clinics.

  The risks of having unprotected sex abroad are however discussed at travel clinic appointments with detailed written information provided in leaflets and also accessible at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether women being fitted with a contraceptive coil are screened for chlamydia.

Shona Robison: The Guidance from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health states that women with risk factors for chlamydia should be routinely screened. Clinicians who provide contraceptive coils are required to follow this guidance and will routinely discuss risk factors with their patients and offer testing for chlamydia.

Voluntary Sector

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recognise the 20th anniversary of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme of Community Service Volunteers.

Jim Mather: We join with many others in marking the 20 years since the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme started in England. The older volunteer is a cornerstone of our communities and we warmly recognise the contribution they make. As local authorities and community planning partnerships develop the work to deliver the single outcome agreements we believe they should not overlook the contribution which volunteering, particularly by older people, can make.

Voluntary Sector

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance it is giving to organisations promoting activities by volunteers in the current financial year and which organisations benefit.

Jim Mather: Organisations that support volunteering are supported across all directorates within government. The Scottish Government retrospectively publishes annual details of its direct and indirect support for third sector organisations, so full details of support during the current year are not available at this stage.

  In addition, direct support to volunteering infrastructure organisations is provided through the third sector division. This support is provided to the national network of volunteer centres and Volunteer Development Scotland.